Fluttershy
I strode through the street as I barely avoided large crowds of people as I finally reached the doors of the animal shelter and pushed them open, stepping inside and sighing in relief.
“What are you doing here?” Sweet Leaves asked as she looked up from the dog she was brushing.
“It’s our day to work together, remember?” I asked shyly as I set my purse down in the employees locker area.
“I’m not entirely sure how to tell you this but I think you should maybe go explore other avenues Fluttershy,” Sweet Leaves couldn’t make eye contact as I stared at her.
“W-what? Is this about anon a miss and Sunset?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not me!” I cried as I grabbed onto her and Sweet Leaves awkwardly stood there as I looked up at her green hair as she took her hat off nervously. “You have to believe me.”
“I don’t think it’s you,” Sweet Leaves said as she shrugged and I sighed in relief. “I think it’s all of you. Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie. There’s been posts when you couldn’t have posted so one of your friends did. Sunset is probably in on it too.”
I stared in shock at her as I felt the urge to cry.
“What?” I barely managed to get out. Sweet Leaves grimaced as she inhaled and the angry expression went away.
“One of you called me an future eco terrorist. I’ve been swatted all week by various police agencies. The state police, Canterlot police department and the Appaloosa Sheriff’s office. It’s a scary experience. I’m lucky mom and dad left me in charge of the shelter as they are in vacation otherwise they’d have been there.”
“I don’t have anything to do with that! None of us do!” I cried and squeezed her harder as she forced me off her and I tumbled backwards.
“I want to believe Fluttershy I really do but there’s just so much evidence against you that I can’t ignore it anymore. I tried but I can’t. I need you to leave my shelter,” Sweet Leaves pointed at the door as she avoided eye contact.
I wiped my tears away as I weakly nodded, grabbed my purse as I ran out the door sobbing. A few people gave me weird looks as I continued running and ran into someone, falling down.
“Oh hey Fluttershy. You good?” Rainbow asked as she helped me up. “Uh, I take that back. You’re obviously not good, what happened?”
“I was told to never come back to the shelter. Sweet Leaves doesn’t want me there anymore,” I sniffed as Rainbows eyes wide slightly.
“But you’re the best volunteer they have!” Rainbow exclaimed as I hugged her. “We are going back there and making them take you back. This is some bullshit Flutters and you know it.”
Rainbow started dragging me down the street despite my protests and she kicked the doors open, Sweet Leaves head shooting up as she glared at Rainbow.
“Those are glass, you imbecile! You’re lucky you didn’t break them!” Sweet Leaves shouted.
“Sorry,” Rainbow muttered before she glared back. “Are you seriously telling Fluttershy to never come back? She’s the best person here. People come back for her.”
“Yes, yes I am. I don’t want to work with the likes of you. And based on rumors, nor did your teammates Rainbow,” Sweet Leaves placed her hands on her hips. “Now get out.”
“Not until you apologize to Fluttershy.”
“Me? Apologize? I only apologize when I’ve done something wrong. If anything, you all should be apologizing to me. I’ve barely been able to sleep, I’m so damn terrified. Of going to sleep in my own freaking house, let alone go to the store or school.”
“I’m sympathetic really but it isn’t our fault. I understand what was damaging to your reputation but-”
“You don’t even understand! Damaging doesn’t even come close to being accurate!” Sweet Leaves shouted as she clenched her fists.
I gulped as Sweet Leaves continued glaring at us before she pointed at the door.
“I can talk bad about people too. You’re an awful older sister to your brother Fluttershy. We all think it but no one wants to say it to your face. So what if he doesn’t know what to do with his life? You should be supporting him, not constantly berating him with your friend here. You treat him poorly, it’s ridiculous. I may be an only child but I would never do that to anyone ever. Especially if I was their older sibling, you’re supposed to be there for him.”
I flinched as I hugged myself as Rainbow took a startled step back.
“Everyone talks about it,” Sweet Leaves continued. “Even Trixie noticed it and she is so absorbed in her own world that she doesn’t notice anything around her. You could at least try to be a better sister. And you wonder why Zephyr doesn’t come to you for anything anymore.”
I cowered more as I watched Sweet Leaves inhale and exhale for a few moments as Rainbow stared down at the ground.
“Just go,” Sweet Leaves pointed at the door. “Please?”
I felt Rainbow lift me up off the floor as I made eye contact with Sweet Leaves for a brief second before she hastily looked away sadly.
“I don’t want to have to call the police. Just go and don’t come back. If you are proven to not be involved, then you come back here and volunteer. But only then Fluttershy.”
I weakly nodded as Rainbow shook my arm.
“We should go like she said. We will get you back in a shelter. Any shelter,” Rainbow promised as I shakily stood next to her. She surprisingly seemed more shaken by Sweet Leaves than I honestly thought she would have.
I don’t really know if Rainbow ever talked to Sweet Leaves before because neither of them mentioned it. Sweet Leaves picked up a phone sadly and I nodded. Rainbow hastily moved to the doors as I ran around her.
I pushed the doors open and ran out sobbing again
That sounds like defamation lawsuit in the making.
Man Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom are going to be on so many people's shit list if and when the truth gets out.
People may be willing to reconnect with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and apologize to them afterwards but they probably wouldn't extend the same courtesy to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack for their connection to the CMC.
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However damn many the author wants there to be.
I feel bad for Fluttershy, though given how Sweet Leaves was swatted due to the group chat becoming public knowledge I can understand her letting Flutters go until the situation is resolved. Though given how the Canterlot Movie Club are determined to keep digging themselves deeper, things are gonna get much worse before they start getting better.
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either those three ( scootaloo, sweetie belle, and apple bloom) don't know or just don't care of who they hurt as long as they spend time with their sisters/ sister figure. which in all honesty is pretty much a pathetic reason to do all this. don't get me wrong i get that they're family and all ( almost like family in scootaloo's case) but they could've talked to applejack, rarity and rainbowdash into seeing a possible day and/ or time they could hangout,
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If I sunset I have major issues with forgiveness considering the girls until twilight invited sunset to save the day seemed to be not really trying to be sunset friends. The no offense thing was pretty rude and considering twilight had been there only for a day when she was invited into the band but sunset who had been there when the band started wasn't.
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Seriously! If AJ and Rarity are losing customers because of mere rumors, the moment the truth comes out, Rarity is going to have to pack up and move to another state to stay in business and the Apple family is going to have to sell the farm just to pay for the lawsuits. Poor Scootaloo is going to end up in a correctional facility.
Full respect to the author, but this is an issue I have with MANY AaM stories:
Things go way too far, way too quickly.
The CMC never wanted anyone to be HATED, or their lives to be ruined, they just wanted their sisters to not be as friendly with Sunset anymore. I get that the whole thing is they are getting "secrets" from other sources, but that does not excuse this.
They would need to proof-read the secrets before posting, and they may be young teens, but they are old enough to realize that some pieces of information, and some rumors, can REALLY hurt others, and should not be posted. I understand wanting the CMC to seem really bad, but there is a point where it stops being silly rumors and gossip, and becomes defamation, as other commenters have said.
*a possible future*
"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo" says Judge Book Toss, "You have been found guilty of libel and slander. You are hereby sentenced to spend until the start of the next school year in the juvenile prison, and you are banned from being online until all three of you are 18."
Please let me know when everyone finds out the truth, because I feel like it will be a pretty painful moment; especially for the Crusaders since they will lose more than necessary.
Oh boy...
Don't worry Sweet Leaves, at least people is SWATting you on the suspicions of being a "possible future eco-terrorist", instead of adding animal abuse or mistreatment, that way would have involed Animal Control, Public health sevices and while thing do clear out the shelter get siezed and the animals relocated to other shelters that may or may not treat them well.
All you have to wait for the momment is getting SWATted by the FBI and Homeland security, is all.
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That was because until that time Sunset was just a task given to the girls by Twilight, they didn't really put much effort in befriend her and forgive her because the feelings were still fresh at the time.
I'm not suggesting "Flutters would do no harm" but moreso that this is not the best angle to tackle her double-standards as a theme for the story. It's no secret she has repressed anger and bitterness (that a single session with a motivational speaker could unleash), but having another character spit out something that doesn't really work with the context the audience has just feels off, and a little preachy too.
In EQG, Fluttershy doesn't chastise her brother, and all he does is make one-sided advances on Rainbow. In FIM this argument would be better, but she is ultimately the one who supports Zephyr trying to get him multiple jobs so he can support himself, and only succeeds in the end once his narcissism is finally broken down for him to listen and actually try.